Evolution of Note Taking

When I first started reading, I didn’t take notes at all. I wanted to read as much as possible and writing notes would slow me down.

But the number of books read is a vanity metric, what matters is what I learned and how the book changed my perspective. Taking notes would improve my comprehension and help me think about the ideas presented in a critical manner.

I started off writing notes in Evernote while I read. But it didn’t work too well. I found it inconvenient and my phone was distracting.

Inspired by a friend of mine, I’d write notes in the margins margins, use sticky notes and dog ear the pages. This works best when I purchase my own books, but this would become an expensive hobby which I don’t have the money for yet.

Currently, I mainly consume books by borrowing them from the library, listening to the audiobooks, or reading on my Kindle.

Right now I don’t have a note taking technique for books but this is something I want to change.